American Well Drilling

Before a water well can be drilled, a hydrogeologist or groundwater surveyor must first determine specific information about the area, including geology, water table depth, seasonal fluctuations, and recharge area/rate.

A drill is a tool for boring holes in metal, wood, rock, earth, bone, and teeth. However, did you know drill can also refer to a type of snail; a row of planted seeds; coarse, heavy-duty fabric; repetitive physical, military, or mental training; or a type of monkey?

A water well extracts groundwater from an aquifer, which is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (sand, silt, or gravel).

While specific state standards vary, most require residential water wells to be drilled deeply enough that there’s at least 20 feet of well casing, the well casing reaches bedrock, or some mix of the two.

Water well drills are very specialized pieces of equipment designed to penetrate sand, gravel, clay, and solid rock. Each layer requires a different drilling pressure.

If you are having a swimming pool installed, you can save on water costs by having a well dug to supply it with water. Filling it from this source means you are not charged for using the municipality’s water services.

More than half of the nation's drinking water comes from municipal and private water wells. Over 15 million homes in the United States have their own private water well.

Occasionally, you will hear of a salt and pepper well. These water wells are between 225 and 320 feet deep and dug into aquifers. They get the salt and pepper name from the clays and sands in the aquifer’s natural filter.

Look for a water well contractor who is a member of the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), a Certified Well Driller (CWD) and a Certified Pump Installer (CPI or CWD/PI). These designations indicate that the contractor has passed examinations demonstrating expertise in these areas.

Did you know that water is the most important thing for humans after oxygen? You can go 30 days without food, but only a week without water. That’s why a key part of towns and cities has always been wells and water supplies.

Depending on the formation at the bottom of a well, a screening device, filter pack, slotted casing, or open bore hole will be left to allow water to flow into the well.

Before you opt to connect to a rural water system, run the numbers. Often the cost associated with trenching and running pipe is equal to or greater than the total cost of drilling the well, laying pipe and installing plumbing combined.

Don't worry about causing your well to go dry by using water. Dry wells are most often caused when debris prevents the water supply from flowing.